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I remember when I was little, walking down the street with my bff, when she looked at me and then said, in a sing-songy way, “Stepped on a crack. Broke your mother’s back.”
What?? I did what? And I promptly began to cry. You have to understand that I cried watching episodes of Lassie, so this really would have sent me over the edge.
Superstitions. When I was in college in the 70′s, I remember writing a paper for my English class on superstitions. I researched that sucker for a long time and was so pleased when I received a 100% on that paper. This morning, all I had to do was plug in “superstitions” on Google, and Viola! Sort of make me mad that Al Core didn’t invent the internet much sooner.
Some people can not even go out of the house on Friday the 13th. That would be called Friggatriskaidekaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th. Our county just called off school because of the snow. I really think it was because we have some frigga people at the board office. Well, maybe. But, I don’t understand this problem. I can understand some phobias, like driving over a bridge. I mean, the damn bridge could fall down and you’d be stuck in your car, floating down to the bottom of the river. Not good. But, to be afraid of all things Friday the 13th is a little strange to me. Are they afraid of black cats stepping in front of them while they walk under a ladder after breaking a mirror in the house?
I do have superstitions. I believe that if you light a candle and leave it unattended, it may burn the house down, especially if you own a black cat.
Seriously though, the research that I have done in the past, makes me realize that fear drives a lot of people. Someone had to start the superstition, right? I think any one of them could have started just like this:
Elwood Jones, 59, of Morgantown, died today, when the ladder he was standing on, collapsed, and crushed his Grandmother, 102 year old Orpha, who was holding the ladder for him. Reports suggest that Orpha quit holding the ladder for a moment to pet her black cat, Lucky.
Well, something like that. And after it happened, the next time someone was up on the ladder, someone commented:
“Hey, remember what happened to Elwood and Orpha? Don’t walk or stand under that ladder for God’s sake.”
And a superstition was born.
So, after I clean up the salt I just spilled on the floor, and throw some over my shoulders, I’m going to put my lucky penny in my pocket and head to the store. I have to walk, though, because I’m afraid to drive on Friday the 13th.
I read where there was a car accident this morning.
And I’m thinking that must mean something.
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